Background to Medieval Migration (Edexcel GCSE History) : Revision Note

What made Medieval England a place of migration?- Summary

In Medieval England, the government faced many challenges. Kings relied on local nobles to enforce laws and raise armies, and they needed money to defend the country. As a result, they welcomed migrants who could boost the economy through trade, skilled work, or taxes. The growth of towns and the wool trade also created new opportunities that attracted European migrants.

Religion played a role too. As part of Christendom, England was connected to other Christian countries. Wealthy monasteries often hired skilled migrant workers, and towns offered more freedom and protection than rural areas. These economic, religious, and political factors helped make England a destination for migration in the Medieval period.

Medieval government & monarchy

• The Anglo-Saxons united England's kingdoms such as Wessex and Mercia under one king

  • However, creating a centralised government was difficult

Issues with the government in Medieval Britain

Protection from invaders

• Anglo-Saxon kings did not have use of a standing army

• Kings relied heavily on earls to raise armies

  • Earls would raise a local force in their earldoms, often made up of peasants and knights

• England faced frequent external threats, especially from Viking raids starting in the 8th and 9th centuries

  • These attacks were sudden, violent, and hard to stop without a quick response from the king

Law and order

• Anglo-Saxon England did not have a police force

• Law and order depended on local lords and community structures, such as tithings

  • Crimes were tried at local courts ruled over by earls

• Law and order was difficult for the king to maintain

  • Local lords could use their own army to turn against the king

  • Criminals who travelled across earldoms were hard to catch due to slow communication

  • The Danelaw had separate laws to Anglo-Saxon England

Finances

• Defending England was expensive. Kings needed money to:

  • Build fortifications like castles, city walls, and burhs, especially along vulnerable coasts or trade routes

  • Pay mercenaries or reward loyal nobles for military service

  • Fund diplomacy, such as forming alliances through marriage or bribing enemies

• Most of England's wealth came from:

  • taxes on land

  • taxes on trade

  • church tithes

• Sometimes, the king could not raise enough money from these sources

The Medieval Church

• Christianity had spread across the country through the work of missionaries from Ireland and Rome in earlier centuries

• By the 9th century, England was part of a wider Christian community known as Christendom

• This religious identity connected England with other Christian states

  • It made England a destination for Christian migrants

• Monasteries and abbeys were powerful institutions:

  • They owned large amounts of land and were often wealthy

  • Many held precious manuscripts, jewels, and artefacts

  • They also hired skilled foreign workers, such as stonemasons and scribes, especially during construction or decoration projects

Landownership & the growth of towns

• Kings relied on taxation from landowners to fund their government

  • Land was the main source of wealth

• Most people lived in villages, farming land owned by nobles or the Church

The development of burhs

• Introduced under King Alfred the Great in the 9th century, burhs grew into thriving economic centres, They had:

  • markets

  • craft industries

  • local government

• Burhs attracted European merchants and craftsmen who brought skills in:

  • metalwork

  • leatherwork

  • cloth production

  • brewing

• Living in burhs also provided:

  • Safety from attacks

    • If migrants settled in rural areas, they could be attacked by the local community

  • Legal protections

    • Some towns offered charters, allowing migrants to become “free men” and gain legal rights

Trade in Medieval England

• The wool trade became England’s biggest export industry by the 13th century

  • English wool was in high demand across Europe, especially in Flanders (modern-day Belgium)

  • Foreign merchants and skilled workers migrated to buy, sell, or process wool

• Wool was taxed heavily by the King, providing a major source of income

Trading across Europe

• England’s trade connections spread across the:

  • North Sea

  • English Channel

  • Baltic Sea

• Different towns were responsible for trading with different countries

  • York traded with Denmark

  • Bristol traded between the west of England and Viking settlements in Ireland

• London was the main trading hub of England

  • Traders from Flanders, Germany, France and Normandy came to London

• These trade routes opened the door to seasonal and permanent migrants